There was a tense silence circulating in the room, and I couldn't help but tighten my grasp on the edge of my blanket. Both women stared at me. Camilla looked confused, but Aria's eyes were more thoughtful. The spark of realization mirrored in her sharp gaze.

  "Do you mean to say that you are a follower of the God Axis? That much we have already known, girl... one only needed to listen to your incantations to realize such. You didn't exactly try to hide it, either, regularly asking me about Axis and things like that. You are not as subtle as you think yourself to be... Which is why we got to know your dabbling in blood magic in the first place."

  I blinked, then my stomach dropped. Are they misinterpreting what I said? Maybe revealing this was still too early, but I can't exactly dance out of this anymore! I took a deep breath and tried to clarify my standing. ─ "You are right in a sense, but that is not what I meant to say... I... damn it, I meant it literally! I was sent here by Lord Axis. I was entrusted with a mission to gather the races and defend against this incoming darkness..." ─ I caught the worried glances exchanged between my companions, and my voice quickly faltered seeing their darkening expressions. ─ "Please stop looking at me like that, I am not crazy!" ─ Those words left my mouth on their own, as my skin prickled under their judgmental stares.

  Seeing the subtle changes in their expressions, the moment of uncertainty and worry, my shoulders sagged. I already knew those gazes; they were the looks people offered to their grandparents when they spoke out of line. Slipping into the inchoherent jumbled mess cooked up by their failing minds, which only they could understand.

  I immediately clammed up, realizing that my words would not be taken well at this point.

  There were a few moments of awkward silence.

  Then Camilla offered me a hesitant smile that made me twitch. ─ "Of course you are not crazy, it's just... You must be tired, and... did you hit your head in that tumble by chance?"

  A spark of frustration was reignited in my chest as I once again tried to explain.

  "No... I-I mean, yes, but not that hard..." ─ I sighed. ─ "It's besides the point anyway! Please listen to me..." ─ I struggled to make my case clear, but Aria's unexpectedly soft yet firm voice cut me off.

  The woman walked up to my bed, sat down at my side, and gently patted the top of my head. ─ "It's alright, Selora, don't worry. We shouldn't have pushed for this conversation when you are still hurt. You must be confused and need more rest." ─ She playfully pinched my left cheek while teasingly adding. ─ "Unless you wish to claim that the God of Creation personally thought you blood magic."

  Camilla chuckled at that, shaking her head in a worried sort of amusement. ─ "She might as well claim to be a boy next time. Please don't be ridiculous, Lora, you are making us worried..."

  My heart skipped a beat, and any remaining argument died in my throat, hearing Camilla's snide comment. My face flushed with embarrassment that quickly turned into a silent sort of despair.

  If I didn't know better, I would think the universe was making fun of me.

  It was just as I feared, nobody would believe such absurdity without undeniable proof. A surviving white elf was already hard to accept, but that very elf being a chosen of God seems to be asking for trouble.

  I closed my eyes and allowed Aria to push me back into the bed. ─ "I... you are right... I am just tired, sorry..." ─ I was playing with fire, once again. If they start thinking of me as a crazy person... Well... it was the last thing I wanted as a blood mage...

  Still, their outright refusal to believe me really stung. I rolled to my side, glancing at the pair silently discussing among themselves as they left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

  I blinked away a few frustrating tears as my emotions roared internally. They are definitely thinking that I am delusional, maybe I am... No... I bit down on my lips. That's not a road I want to go down in my current state of mind... Let's, let's just be happy that I got out of that encounter. Thinking back to that illusionist freak almost made me break out in cold sweat. Seriously, how am I supposed to fight against that bitch? I need to focus on learning my magic, and do it fast... How do you learn magic properly, anyway? Do I need to go to a school? Sure... because the dark elves will just wait until I finish my studies. Either way, what would several years of regular magic study do in the face of that woman?

  No... I need to practice my spells, after that... I need more combat experience. Well, in that case, it is fortunate that a war is right on our doorstep.

  I rolled to my other side, feeling restless; even if my body hurt, I couldn't lie still with all those emotions swirling inside me.

  I am such a hypocrite. I am still thinking about practicing spells in battles; meanwhile, my whole body is screaming at me to run in the opposite direction.

  Why do I even have to participate in this damned war? Can't I just literally do that? Run away, and be done with it?

  I shook my head. Maybe I am thinking of this in a bad context. Lord Axis only entrusted me to gather the races of light, not to personally defeat the enemy.

  Yeah... fat chance... I literally don't know anybody besides my friends here. Even if I am a dwarven noble now, I have no connections among the other races. How would I do something like that? How were alliances made between old noble houses? If I recall correctly, it was either by treaties or marriage... I almost laughed at the absurd idea. Who would want to marry an old bastard like me... My words slowed at the end, as my eyes glanced over to the battered yet still soft white skin covering my forearm. My eyes wandered downwards, catching a peek of my cleavage, mostly covered by the blanket.

  "Marriage..." ─ My face paled, and I quickly dismissed the idea altogether.

  I seriously hope that Lord Axis wasn't implying anything untoward in that sense... but why would he deliberately turn me into a woman otherwise? I believed that it was solely to mess with me, but what if it wasn't?

  This... you can't be serious! I am starting to seriously have a beef with these Gods and all of their ilk!

  Yeah, damn it! When I hoped for a God given purpose, I wasn't exactly asking for this? This is more like those impossible missions only video game authors could cook up. I have had enough of this.

  Even if I wanted to solve this, I am definitely not high-level enough for this quest. Let's... let's just ignore it for now, and try to focus on things that I could handle, it's not like the world would collapse in a few days, right? War takes time, especially on such a grand scale as this is.

  Emrum is right, nobody expects me to win this war on my lonesome. I... I will simply practice my spells, then support the others when it is time for it. That should be fine, right? There must be genuine heroes in this world, too, people who can handle this storm far better than I do.

  Yes, definitely... I shouldn't take this too seriously right from the start...

  After witnessing the power of a mage so far out of my league, I felt like my role in this world was far smaller than I had initially anticipated. It was a reassuring thought, one that managed to calm my overactive nerves. As my emotions calmed, the tiredness once again caught up with me, leaving me in a warm daze, and my consciousness quickly succumbed to sleep.

  ~oOo~

  A few days have passed since the attack, and the city has slowly bounced back to its regular flow. Well, if you kept ignoring the ridiculous number of soldiers and adventurers patrolling the walls and the very streets of the city, especially in the case of the nobles' partition.

  That and the burst of refugees that followed the brutal conquest of the dark ones. Bringing a constant stream of dire news and alarming tales of their miraculous escapes.

  One thing was certain: many dwarven settlements had fallen, and thousands of dwarven citizens were killed or captured. There were more than a few cities cut off by the enemy and still under their ruthless siege. The situation was dire, but at least it only concerned the northern kingdom of the allied Twin Dwarven Kingdoms. Allowing the constant stream of reinforcements arriving from the south. Providing both military aid and supplies to relieve the strain. I was surprised that the dwarven people were so accepting of the outbreak of this new war, but when I asked about it, they told me that it was only a matter of time until the dark ones started another invasion.

  Aside from that, unlike the human and high elven kingdoms of the far south, the dwarven lands suffered a constant threat from the dark elves and their ilk. They were the ones, along with the wood elves, on the surface that created the main border between the cursed lands and our territory. Along with several wastely reinforced magical towers that served as bastions for the races of light.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Just as I suspected, the war was not going to end in mere days or weeks; it will likely take years if not decades. While the thought in itself was alarming, the people of this world, or at least those living on the borderlands, were surprisingly used to the idea of constant war. Naturally, the following days of the attack flew by in a daze of shock and fear, but the people, in a few days, got back to their routine and continued with their lives, seeing how the world didn't seem to end.

  Well, on my part... I was mostly bound to my bed. I was forbidden to cast any spells, not even healing spells for myself, since I have strained my magical reserves too many times recently, and I was recommended to give them rest and heal naturally.

  I wasn't that opposed to the idea; at least I could gather my thoughts properly while resting in the Dimhollow estate. Besides that, I was frequently visited by my friends and members of my new family. The word still felt strange on my tongue.

  ~oOo~

  A month has passed since the initial assault on the dwarven capital, bringing war to our doorstep. Compared to my previous experiences in this world, this last month felt like a well-deserved reward, a vacation of sorts.

  I had rested for a week before I was allowed to cast spells again and quickly healed my remaining injuries. After that, I allowed myself to stretch my muscles, and after a few days, I began to practice my spells in the training fields of the estate. I was often escorted around by my companions or other members of my dwarven family. Like Dalorsaer, Nerha, Emrum, and sometimes even his son Erirmun. Unsurprisingly, Bella also joined me, more often than not. She was basically shadowing me around, as if afraid that I would end up lost in the vast halls of the estate.

  It was not entirely a misguided fear, unfortunately, even if I was now somewhat familiar with the structure. I still wouldn't want to end up on the wrong side of the estate. There were still more than a few faces around here that I didn't want to run into, basically half of the family, as a matter of fact. While after my show of power and subsequent rewards from the crown for playing a crucial role in the defense of the capital, I highly doubted that anybody would so blatantly cross my path. It didn't stop their distasteful frowns and distant snears.

  It was fine, I didn't intend to befriend every idiot, and naturally, as in all societies, there were quite many unbearable fools among the dwarven people. Especially among the ones that were used to wealth and having their way with people. In other words, nobles. Dwarven nobles, more often than not, were just as frivolous and intolerable as one would expect spoiled, bratty people to be.

  It took me some time to realize this, but eventually I understood. I need not say that it was a sour realization; unfortunately, Jolga was not the exception, but more like the general rule. The type of people like Emrum were far fewer in numbers inside the noble courts of the capital. Being dwarves, it also meant they were often drunk as a horse, and fumbling around, prone to sudden bouts of anger. In dwarven society, power was still a measure of justice. Many arguments were solved by duels to the first blood especially for this reason, it was not rare to see men wearing armor in perfectly normal circumstances.

  It was a miracle in itself, or perhaps a testament to dwarven craftsmanship, that those so-called duels, which by the way happened quite often, not surprisingly among a race so drunken on mead, that they very rarely ended with actual casualties.

  In my several-week-long stay in the city, I left the estate a handful of times and still managed to witness several such duels.

  It was perhaps a result of the war, the flood of refugees, or the constantly incoming soldiers in the form of reinforcements that the tension grew into such sights. Either way, I could tell that those duels were not jokes.

  Practicing my magic seemed to be a wise choice in such uncertain times, and I had no intentions to push this important task any further. My last encounter with that terrifying elf was permanently burned into my memories.

  Naturally, I could not postpone my promised lessons to Bella either. The girl was pouting terribly. She looked like a bomb ready to explode if I didn't commit to my promise. I wasn't willing to find out what it would bring onto my head if she told others about me being a blood mage. Way too many people knew that already...

  The main issue was still present, however. How the hell would I teach her magic if I myself had barely any comprehension about how magic actually functioned?

  My first instinct was to visit the old dwarven enchanter and ask for his knowledge or advice. To my dismay, however, when I eventually visited him, I found his shop closed and evidently abandoned for several weeks by then. There was a warning sign hooked on the inside of the now slightly dusty and cobweb-riddled door. The message was written in shaky handwriting, informing any future customers that the owner had an unexpected and urgent task which drew his presence away from the city for an uncertain amount of time.

  It was just my luck.

  I was on my way back towards the estate when a familiar voice gained my attention. I looked up only to face the familiar visage of Alita Smith, my newly gained friend. She was walking up to me, waving and calling my name enthusiastically, immediately reminding me of the fact that no matter how young I looked on the outside, I was still too old to provide substantial companionship for this energetic girl. Not... that she seemed to care about that...

  I smiled and welcomed her to the best of my abilities. My hand was uncertainly twitching between a half-formed handshake, which was completely ignored and bypassed by the other party, who simply stepped into my space and engulfed me in a one-sided hug, one which I awkwardly reciprocated.

  "Selora! It is so good to run into you like this. I wanted to visit you in the afternoon anyway, but perhaps you spared me the trouble of going through the official channels." ─ She rolled her eyes. ─ "It is always bothersome to organize a meeting between nobles. The houses want to keep their face no matter what, even if we simply want to chat." ─ She hooked her arms under my own and started to gently direct me along the road. ─ "By the way, do you have some time to spare right now?"

  I thought about my plans for today, ideally, I would be in the shop of Master Tuz, currently gaining some much-needed insight on basic magical knowledge. I freed my whole afternoon for this very purpose, which meant that I had all the time for the rest of the day.

  I nodded to the brown haired menace and let her drag me along without any resistance.

  "Great! I couldn't wait to show you some of my favorite places in the city! Have you been to the adventurer hall or the Golden Streams? Those are true sights to see!" ─ I suddenly had a bad premonition regarding this unexpected tour.

  "Wait, Alita? Are those places outside of the noble district? Emrum told me not to leave the noble district without telling him, or requesting some escort..." ─ Alita cut me off, with a sudden spark of frustration.

  "By the ancestors, Selora, we fought on a battlefield barely a month ago! Killing dark elves left and right! Are you now telling me that you can't leave the noble district without telling your stepfather? Don't be such a simpleton. The rules are there to be broken after all, of course, only in moderation." ─ She winked, but it didn't reassure me the slightest.

  I, for the first time since our impromptu meeting, took the girl's form and, more importantly, her clothes into proper assessment. She was wearing tight leather pants, boots, long gloves, and some stylish leather armor on her upper body. The sight made me frown; it was a rare thing to see Alita in such clothes. She was enthusiastic about her flowing dresses after all.

  My eyes narrowed slightly as I took in her expression. The girl seemed to avoid extensive eye contact.

  I sighed. ─ "Another argument with your father, I take it? He will not be amused when he learns about you once again sneaking out, especially looking like that." ─ I voiced my complaint, immediately gaining a fiery glare from the dwarven amazon.

  "Then, he can choke on his annoyance!" ─ She let go of my hand, stomping up and down for a few seconds, getting control over her anger. Then she turned back to me and demanded with an outstretched arm. ─ "Are you coming or not?" ─ Her body language was clearly demanding and angry, but I could see a glint of undeniable vulnerability glancing in her expression. I hesitated. In the end, I was a man for seventy years, and I could not let a young woman wander in a streak of misguided anger. I could understand her father's feelings, all too well. However, I also understood that it was not possible to postpone what needed to happen. Children grow up, one way or another.

  I slowly grabbed onto her hand, accepting the gesture, then I looked down at my own clothes. In the last few weeks, my wardrobe was refreshed with a variety of new clothes, all thanks to my newfound family's enthusiasm. Presently, I was wearing a light dress with a beige tunic and a black skirt with a silvery engraving. The Dimhollow crest naturally appears in several places.

  I had a shoulder bag for other necessities, mostly to keep my coins, a knife, since you never know where that proves useful, and a pair of handkerchiefs.

  Aside from that, I was naturally holding onto my staff in my right hand, which undoubtedly gave me an unusual look, but I didn't care. They will think otherwise when I blast a giant spider into smidereens again.

  While training my magic without a staff was a necessity, ignoring the abundant power boost it provided was simply asking for trouble. I had no plans for facing any enemies without the support of my staff in the near future.

  I sighed and let Alita drag me along towards the gate of the nobles' district. ─ "You just want to make me into your accomplice, don't you? So your father could complain about me as well, while you get some room to breathe." ─ I sighed again. ─ "And make no mistakes, he will be furious just like..." ─ My words were cut off.

  "Like when I led a company of our house's soldiers in the defense of the Capital, and won?" ─ She snorted derisively. ─ "It's funny, you know, I was rewarded and promoted by the crown, while my father grounded me at home, shouting in fury after he dragged his guts back home three weeks later, then the siege occurred."

  "He is just worried about your safety." ─ I said with a measured tone.

  "Well, no one asked him to be." ─ Alita added. ─ " I definitely didn't."

  "He is your father, it doesn't work like that." ─ I added somberly.

  Alita snapped back, but it was a lot lighter compared to her previous reaction. ─ "Are you done with your doomsaying? Yes? Then, we can finally focus on having fun, instead of bickering like children."

  "As you wish, my lady." ─ I added sarcastically, which clearly got under her skin.

  As she took in my appearance with a grin. ─ "That's thick coming from you, where were you originally going, a meeting with the princess in those clothes?"

  I let myself drift along with the mood and answered. ─ "Oh, no... My mandatory tea party was postponed indefinitely in the wake of these unfortunate events. It is a terrible, terrible misfortune."

  Alita chuckled. ─ "Cut that crap, we both know that you had no intention to go in the first place."

  I smirked and added with a faint smile. ─ "It is unbecoming of a lady to use such foul language."

  Alita simply shook her head, her amusement evident in the small gesture. ─ "I see that you have grown accustomed to your mandatory etiquette lessons, my dear. You might prove more than a mere brute after all."

  We exchanged a glance, then broke out laughing, gaining several reproachful glances from the nearby nobles.